Wednesday, 26 December 2012

Yoram Eliyahu: Rebuilding the Hometown Synagogue

Yoram
Eliyahu is passionate about doing good works in his chosen home in the United
States and his hometown of Kirat-Shmona, Israel. His hometown is a small one
near the border of Lebanon. When Hezbollah forces from Lebanon attacked Israel
in 2006, the small town suffered damage. When Yoram found out about the
destruction and devastation that occurred there, he knew he had to help.

The
synagogue in Kirat-Shmona had been badly damaged by missile fire, and the Torah
it housed had been destroyed as well. Yoram contributed financially to the
rebuilding of the synagogue. He did so because his faith is important to him,
and because he knew firsthand how important the synagogue was to the community.
He wanted to honor the place of his birth, where he was raised to appreciate
traditional values.

But
Yoram felt that the damage went beyond just the physical building. What was
destroyed could be repaired, but never fully replaced. He wanted to find a way
to restore a feeling of hope and pride in his community. When he heard about
the destroyed Torah, he knew that replacing it would help boost morale. He did
careful research to find a skilled sofer to write the new Torah on the special gevilparchment
paper. Yoramthen commissioned the new Torah to be created.

Once
the painstaking work was finished, there was the matter of delivering the
sacred scroll to Kirat-Shmona. Writing a Sefer Torah takes as long as a year
and a half, and includes hand lettering each of the 304,805 Hebrew letters that
make up its text. Any error made during the transcription process may render
the Sefer Torah invalid. So, the safety of this completed sacred scroll was
extremely important. To ensure its safe delivery to Kirat-Shmona despite the
unrest in the area, Yoram Eliyahudid everything
possible to ensure its safe delivery to the rebuilt synagogue. This special
Sefer Torah is still in use today.

Yoram
Eliyahu: Community Leader

While
some may not understand the significance of this deed, YoramEliyahu knew it was vital to the recovery of his hometown. He believes
that faith is a vital force in any community. Time and money spent to honor
one’s past and present leaders is time and money well spent. He desires to
model what is truly important in life, including meeting the physical and
emotional needs one sees in others. Yoram strives to be a community leader who
inspires others to help where they are able.